Apparatus for securing sheet material to the surface of rotatable drums



Feb. 1, 1955 c. VAN RENNES 2,701,177

APPARATUS FOR SECURING SHEET MATERIAL TO THE SURFACE OF ROTATABLE DRUMS Filed Feb. 19, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.1

INVENTOR. CORNELI S VAN RENNES ATTORNEY Feb. 1, 1955 c. VAN RENNES 2,701,177

APPARATUS FOR SECURING SHEET MATERIAL TO THE SURFACE OF ROTATABLE DRUMS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 19 1951 xxmm INVENTOR. CORNELIS VAN RENNES ATTORNEY n ed States,

APPARATUS FOR SECURING SHEET MATERIAL TO THE SURFACE OF ROTATABLE DRUMS Cornelis'Van Rennes, Valley Stream, N. Y., assignor to Faximile, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware 1 This invention relates to means for feeding sheet material to a rotatable drum and clamping the material on the surface thereof.

While not limited thereto, the invention is particularly useful in facsimilerecorders wherein a stylus is employed toemboss a recording medium in the form ofmetallic foil. In the past, the foil manually has been secured to the recording drum through the agency of cellulose adhesive tape. This method is time consuming and difficult to do properly. It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a semi-automatic device for applying embossable foil from a supply roll to the surface of a recording drum.

The apparatus of this invention is generally useful in applying sheet material to the surface of the rotatable drum of a facsimile recorder or scanner. It is therefore a general object of this invention to provide semi-automatic means for applying sheet material to the surface of a rotatable drum in a rapid and accurate manner.

It is a further object to provide means facilitating the cutting off of the correct length of recording medium from a supply roll.

It is a further object to provide means for clamping only one edge of a sheet of recording material to a rotatable drum, the remainder of the sheet being maintained smooth and taut on the surface of the drum as the drum is rotated.

It is a further object to provide an apparatus for the above-mentioned purposes which is simple in construction and inexpensive to manufacture.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description taken together with the appended drawings wherein:

Fig. l is an end view of a facsimile recorder constructed according to the teachings of this invention. Parts are broken away to more clearly reveal the inner construction.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the recorder shown in Fig. 1. Again, parts are broken away for illustrative purposes.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawings, a frame comprises end plates and 11 maintained in spaced relationship by means of through bolts 12, 13 and 14. A supply roll 15 for a recording medium, which may be embossable foil, has a shaft 16 journalled in end plates 10 and 11. Shaft 16 is provided with a hand knob 17 for rotating supply roll 15.

A guide 20 for the recording medium comprises two parallel spaced curved sheets secured by brackets 21 and screws 22 to end plates 10 and 11. One edge of guide 20 is provided with a blade 23 for cooperation with a manually operated knife in cutting off the recording medium.

A recording head 25 having a stylus 26 is engaged on a lead screw 27 journalled in end plates 10 and 11.

A recording drum generally designated 30 is provided with a coaxial shaft 31 journalled by means of ball bearings 32 in end plates 10 and 11. One end of shaft 31 is provided with a sprocket 33 for driving the drum during the recording operation, and a hand wheel 34 for rotating the drum during the process of attaching recording medium to the drum.

Drum 30 comprises a metallic cylinder 35 held coaxial with shaft 31 by means of end plugs 36. A cork covering 38 secured to cylinder 35 provides a resilient backing for the embossing action of stylus 26 during the recording operation. A longitudinal portion is cut out of cylin- 2,701,177 Patented Feb. 1, 1955 der 35 to accommodate platens 40 and 41 fixed on drum 30, the space between the platens 40, 41 providing a slot receptive to the leading edge of the recording sheet. Platens 40 and 41 have cylindrical surfaces 42 and 43 having the same radius of curvature as a cooperating clamping cylinder 45. Clamping cylinder 45 has end plugs 46 carrying eccentric pins 47 journalled in end plugs 36 of drum 30. The ends of pins 47 are provided with lever arms 48 bifurcated at 49 to accommodate pins 50 in the ends of lever rods 51. The other ends of rods 51 are reciprocable in sleeves 52 pivotably mounted at 53 on end plugs 36 of drum 30. Springs 54 urge lever rods 51 toward the bifurcated ends 49 of lever arms 48. Eccentric pins 47, lever arms 48, lever rods 51 and sleeves 52 provide a snap, action assembly for displacing cylinder 45 between the position shown in the drawings and a position Where cylinder 45 bears tightly against the cylindrical surface 43 of platen 41.

A second recording medium guide 60 comprises two spaced parallel sheets secured at their ends to brackets 63 which are fixed on a pintle 64 journalled in frame end members 10 and 11. Spring detents 65 hold the second guide 60 in the position shown in the drawings. When detents 65 are released, the guide 60 may be pivoted about pintles 64 removing the guide assembly from proximity to the drum 30. This facilitates the removal of a sheet of recording medium from the drum 30.

Bands 70 of fabric material are connected at one end to through bolt 12 and at the other end to through bolt 13. Bands 70 tend to hold the recording medium taut on the drum 30 as the drum rotates.

In operation, drum 30 is put in the position shown in the drawings by means of hand knob 34. Recording medium from a roll on drum 15 is fed, by turning hand knob 17, into and through guide 20, into and through guide 60 to a position with the leading edge of the recording medium in the opening between platen 41 and cylinder 45. The snap action assembly including arms 48 and rods 51 is shifted to its other position wherein the edge of the recording medium is clamped between platen 41 and cylinder 45. The drum 30 is then rotated about one revolution in the direction of the arrow by means of hand knob 34, causing the medium to be wrapped completely around drum 30. The drag on the recording medium by the fabric bands 70 keeps the recording medium taut on the drum 30. The medium is then cut off by drawing a knife across blade 23 on guide 20. It is not necessary to secure the cut off edge of the recording medium to the drum 30 because of the confining effect of fabric bands 70. The drum 30 is then driven by means of a chain on sprocket 33 and the recording head 25 on lead screw 27 is rotated to a position where recording stylus 26 can engage the recording medium on drum 30.

When it is desired to remove the sheet of recording medium wrapped around the drum, the drum is stopped in the position shown in the drawings. Detents 65 are then released so that guide 60 on brackets 63 may be swung on pintles 64 away from proximity with drum 30. The edge of the recording medium" clamped between platen 41 and cylinder 45 is released by shifting the snap action assembly including arms 48 and rods 51 to the position shown in the drawings. The recording medium may then be removed from the surface of the drum and a new sheet applied to the surface of the drum as described above.

It is apparent that this invention provides semi-automatic means for quickly and accurately securing sheet material to the surface of a rotatable drum. While only one form of the invention has been shown and described, it will be understood that this has been done by way of illustration and not by way of limitation.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising a support, a supply roll of embossable sheet material carried by the support, a drum provided with a slot rotatably mounted on the support, a pair of spaced sheets disposed on the support to guide the sheet material from the supply roll, one of said sheets having an edge adapted to sever the sheet material, a second pair of spaced sheets pivotally mounted on the support to guide the sheet material to said slot in 7 4 olne position agd from thciaslat in anotherhplolsitioni1 a References Cited in the file of this patent c amping mem er mounte an operative. w o y wit in. the drum to engage one end of the sheet material, and UNITED STATES PATENTS stationary drag means secured to the support and dis- 1,262,135 Sundh Apr. 9, 1918 posed transversely of the drum in, contact with the sun- 5 1,564,634 Side Dec. 8, 1925 face thereof,, whereby when; the drum is rotated, the 1,645,882 Stuber Oct. 18, 1927 sheet material istpul'ledz around the, drum while the drag 1,775,742 Thompson Sept. 16, 1930 means; maintains the sheet material smooth and taut onv 2,040,775 Lorig' May 12, 1936 the: drum and the exterior surface of the sheet material: 2,051,511- Finch Aug. 18, 1 936 remainswholl-y free, of obstructions. 1 2,083,044 Storck June 8, 1937 2. An apparatus accordingto claim 1,, further com- 2,239,188 Bees, Apr. 22, 1941 prising a stylus assembly movable in a fixed path on 2,302,827 Wise. et a1. Nov. 24,. 1942 the support to mark the sheet.- material on the drum. 2,351,894 Allardt June 20, 1944 3.. An apparatus according to claim 1', wherein said 2,431,360 Philpott Nov. 25, 1947 drag, means consists of fabric material spaced away from 5 2,453,927 Morse Nov. 16, 1948 said, pairs of spaced: sheets. 2,487,479 Roehrl Nov. 8, 1949 4. An. apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said 2,503,051 Jeckert et a1. Apr. 4, 1950 clamping. member is a cylinder disposed in proximity to 2,511,892 Wise June 20, 1950 andparallel to said, slot, and operable by a spring loaded 2,514,974 Schauer: July 11, 1950 means. to engage and release the end of sheet material 2,578,283 Bornemann Dec. 1.1, 1951 in the drum, in. response to manual operation of the 2,645,494 Keller July' 14, 1953 spring loaded means.

F OREIGNJ 25 637,371 Great Britain May 17, 1950' 

